Expectations
by theywillneverknow
Summary: Clois-y very short one-shot with spoilers from 8x19. "Oh, grow a pair, Olsen."


Disclaimer:: I do not own Smallville or anything affiliated with it.

Title: Expectations  
Author: Firstflier  
Characters: Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen.  
Rating: PG-13  
Spoilers: Spoilers for Season 8 episode 19 'Stiletto'  
Short summary: This is a really quick one-shot that I typed up after I read some spoilers about stiletto and it's basically how I imagined one particular scene to play out. After Lois has lied to try and lure the RBB out, Clark confronts her about work ethics and morals (apparently).

Expectations

"It was a stupid idea, Clark! I get it!"

"I just think you're better than this. I mean, lying to get to the red and blue blur? Seriously, Lois."

Jimmy Olsen stood nervously between the two, head flicking from one party to the other as the verbal spar continued. He clutched his camera protectively to his chest and ventured to clear his throat. Lois whipped around and glared at him. Like a deer in the headlights, he panicked and, before the Lane hurricane could be unleashed upon him he spoke up.

"Well, this looks like it could go on for a while so I think I'll just..." He began to back away from the pair, hoping to avoid any sparks that were flying between the two. However, his plan was fatally flawed when Lois grabbed his arm in what could only be described as a death grip.

"Oh, no you don't Olsen." He was suddenly terrified of his brunette relation and froze. "If I have to sit here and take this verbal bashing you're going down with me." His eyes shot to Clark, pleading with the copy boy to help him but Clark's gaze was trained solely on Lois.

"I'm not trying to verbally bash you, Lois. I'm just saying..."

"That you don't agree with my methods. Yeah, I got it thanks boy scout; truth, honour and justice, right? I think I've heard enough of this spiel to know where it's headed." She all but spat at him, her voice laced with venom and Jimmy felt her nails dig into the flesh of his arm.

"Lois, that hurts." She released his arm instantly and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, grow a pair, Olsen."

She really was not taking any prisoners today. His eyebrows rose in surprise but he did not dare to comment back. She was, quite obviously, very angry. Livid might be a better description. She was shooting daggers now at both males in the room, one who, if he was honest, was on the verge of hightailing it out of there and another who looked truly confused and hurt by Lois' sudden rage at his very innocent comment about her methods.

"Look, Clark, I don't know where you get off telling me what's what but if I recall you, Ollie, Chloe and Lana were all running around Metropolis while I was gone doing very questionable things indeed so don't you dare lecture me about morals and what's right. At least I wasn't planning on killing anyone!"

Her last admission was met with silence and her glare only intensified. Clark looked taken aback at her words, unsure exactly who she was referring to with that last comment considering nearly all of them had considered stepping over that line in the past few months. He also wondered how she got any information on them whilst she was away in Star City and Jimmy could only stare in stunned silence at his cousin-in-law.

"It wasn't like that." Clark's quiet voice was the first to break the spell and she scoffed in response. He frowned. "It wasn't." He insisted.

"Yeah, yeah." She waved her hand angrily through the air, as though chasing away an irritating fly. "So I take it you magically forgave Lana for everything she's done in the past right?"

The name struck a chord and Jimmy winced. The Lana topic had been out of bounds for weeks and, typically, it was Lois who was tactless enough to bring it up. And use it as a weapon in one of her arguments. The pained look that crossed Clark's face did not go un-noticed by Jimmy and he was quite suddenly disappointed in his friend because, although it might seem harsh, he did agree with Lois. Clark's jaw twitched.

"She was the one to stop me going after Lex."

"Oh, so am I wrong in thinking that she's tried to kill him before?" Lois cocked her head to the side innocently, her eyes still blazing fire. Jimmy looked confused as the comment flew over his head, eluding his limited grasp on the world of Smallville. Clark clearly did not have a suitable response to that because he looked dumbfounded and stayed silent. "That's what I thought."

"Lois, just stop. What is this really all about?"

"I want to know why all the other people in your life can get away with anything, damn it even Lex, Clark." She sounded truly wounded and her voice throbbed with emotion. "Even Lex was your friend for years longer than he should have been and he did some very questionable things. So why, after I tell a couple of fibs in order to get a newspaper article, why am I suddenly the bad guy, huh? Why do I get the truth and justice speech and everyone else is exempt?" It was clear her tirade had only just begun and as Jimmy snuck a glance at Clark, he could see the explosion was imminent. "What makes Ollie and Lana so much more damned special than me that they don't get the same?"

"Because I expect better from you!" His shout cut her off abruptly and there was heavy silence again. Jimmy felt uncomfortable, the camera strap around his neck suddenly felt heavy and there was a warm breeze that made his skin itch. The eye contact between the two reporters was astounding and he felt like he had stumbled upon a truly private moment as they tried to communicate with their eyes. Lois' questioning, Clark's asking for forgiveness and understanding. Jimmy suddenly found his shoelaces very interesting. It was another long minute until either spoke.

"You lost the right to expect anything of me, Clark." And without another word, she swivelled on her heel, grabbed her coat and flew up the stairs out of the Daily Planet building in one fluid motion. Jimmy offered Clark a small smile that was meant to say 'women, eh?' but fell flat when it came out as more of a grimace. He had nothing to say that would help Clark so he turned to leave the same way Lois had gone. Half way up the stairs he glanced back and saw Clark sink into his desk chair, fingering Lois' name plate as a heavy sigh fell from his lips. Jimmy could not help but feel sorry for this man who seemed to have lost everything and could not seem to find hope anymore. Jimmy could not remember a time that he had seen Clark like this.

He looked utterly broken.

~*~End~*~


End file.
